A night-time rendering of the proposed Federal Building apartment project (credit: McKissick Associates)
A major downtown Harrisburg apartment project has easily cleared its first significant hurdle, securing an approval of its building plan.
On Wednesday evening, the city’s Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the land development plan for the conversion of the former Federal Building into a 162-unit apartment building.
“I think this is a great project,” said the commission chair, Joe Alsberry. “I do like projects that bring economic development to the city and bring taxpayers to the city. This project appears to be that type of project.”
The vote followed a 30-minute presentation by the New Jersey-based developer, Yasser Hellel, and the project’s Harrisburg-based architect, Vern McKissick, a long-time planning commission member who recused himself from the vote.
Hellel is proposing to construct 146 one-bedroom units, 14 two-bedroom units and two studio units from the 11-story, 196,000-square-foot office building located at N. 3rd and Walnut streets.
The plan also calls for first-floor commercial space and amenities such as a fitness center, penthouse lounge, shared office space, a rooftop deck, a shared lobby and a limited parking deck.
Until recently, the building housed the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and other federal offices. Court personnel moved in April to a new federal courthouse at N. 6th and Reily streets, leaving the building nearly empty.
In February, Hellel bought the 55-year-old structure for $13.3 million from Jeremy Etzin, a former diplomat from the island nation of the Seychelles, who purchased the building at auction a year before for $10 million from the U.S. General Services Administration.
On Wednesday, in an interview with TheBurg, Hellel estimated the total project cost to be around $35 million, including acquisition costs.
A rendering of an apartment interior (credit: McKissick Associates)
During the Planning Commission meeting, Hellel and McKissick addressed two significant issues: parking and affordable housing.
Currently, the project includes only about 30 off-street parking spaces.
Harrisburg’s Downtown Center zoning district does not require off-street parking to be included as part of the project. However, Hellel said that they were seeking to address the issue by possibly leasing spaces in nearby parking garages, with a goal of securing one space per apartment.
“Nothing is approved yet, but we’re really deep into a discussion,” he said. “That’s not only for approval purposes but for practical use of the building.”
Hellel also said that he’s aware of the city’s desire that affordable housing be included in new apartment projects.
“We’re prepared to give some serious consideration as part of our application,” he said. “I think we’ll come up with something sensible to present to City Council. We’re studying the economics of it, and we’ll make something happen.”
Next, the land development plan must go before and be approved by City Council before construction can begin.
Hellel said that he hopes to start work in January and believes that the project will take about 18 months to complete.
During the meeting, McKissick cited the potential effect of the project on the downtown economy, now that many workers who once spent their days in downtown offices work primarily from home. He estimated that the building would house 240 to 280 residents.
“It will be a significant impact and a positive one, we hope,” he said.
Click here to read the city Planning Bureau’s case report for the project.
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